A Grand time on Circuit
ANGLESEY Circuit is gearing up for its 25th anniversary race meeting this weekend – and what better way to celebrate than with the final visit of the year by the club who ran the first ever race there back on October 11, 1992.
The motorcycle race season comes to an end with the Wirral 100 club’s traditional ‘Anglesey Grand’ meeting over the weekend of October 7-8, sponsored by Paul Bland Motorsport of Gaerwen.
This is the 24th running of the Grand and will be run over two 12-lap legs of the 2.1 mile International circuit, with £2,000 of prize money to be won.
Adam Jenkinson, from Knutsford and currently sixth in the National Superstock 1000 championship has won this event for the last three years and is again the favourite, but this year his competition will be stronger than ever.
Fastest amongst them are probably Johnny Blackshaw from Warrington, who is unbeaten at Anglesey this year and has already clinched the 2017 championship, and Lee Williams from Liverpool, who recently topped the Thundersport GP1 Elite championship for the second year in succession.
Other ‘big-bike’ riders likely to be in contention are Chris Barnes from Preston who was second last year, Jamie Harris from Holyhead, the winner of the Anglesey 25th Anniversary races at the mixed car-bike event two weeks ago and now getting used to the switch from 600cc to 1000cc, Chris Ganderton from Amlwch, currently leading the pre-electronics championship, and the up-and-coming Carl Phillips from Belfast, sponsored by TT legend Michael Dunlop.
If race conditions are dry, the leading riders are likely to be on 1000cc machines, but if the conditions are wet or variable, the 600cc machines will certainly press them hard on the circuit.
In 2016, the top 600cc rider was Rob Varey from Preston and this year his opposition will include Simon Napier from Hazel Grove, Adrian Kershaw from Stockport, and several Welshmen, led by current 600cc champion Jamie Devine from Broughton, Barry Dimelow from Abergele, and Carl Jones from Holywell.
The meeting also includes the final rounds of the club championships, which cater for all classes, including sidecars.
More than 160 riders are entered for the meeting and there are 34 races across the two days.
Circuit activity in the form of practice and qualifying will be from 9am with the first race on Saturday is at 12pm, with the first race on Sunday morning at 10.50am.